Best RV Parks & Resorts near Big Rapids, MI

When you first enter the campground you pass by the Pere Marquette River which is a big draw because it is known for great salmon and trout fishing. The park is located in Scottville which is a tiny town but you are only 15 minutes from the Lake Michigan beach town of Ludington. The campground is fairly small (50 sites) but well laid out and will fit any camping unit from tents to large RVs. There are primitive sites and those with electric, water, cable, picnic tables & fire pits. There is a nice, new bathroom that was kept clean. The campground has a very open feel to it with trees on the outskirts. The openness and warm sunshine was appreciated when we were there in late October and experiencing cooler weather. Campsites are on grass and most were in pretty good shape and not too muddy even though we were there at the end of the camping season. 

For a little park, this place has a lot of amenities including swimming pools, convenience store (with ice cream treats for $1), playground, basketball, volleyball, horseshoe pits, fishing, paddling, disc golf, shuffle board, laundry rooms, and clean restrooms.  The best part for us was the access to the river for kayaking. There are many nearby rental and livery companies for those that do not have their own watercraft. If you are looking for good hiking trails check out Ludington State Park and the Huron-Manistee National Forest – both of which also have camping. Overall, we really liked this little park. There were just a handful of sites occupied during our stay which made it nice and quiet.

The campground is rustic with sites 1 - 30 being well spaced with vegetation between most sites and quite spacious.   Sites above 30 are on another loop and are much closer together with less privacy between sites.  There are paved pads for each site although some are sloped.  Also, the orientation of the paving for a lot of site is not correct for a travel trailer, i.e. the door to the trailer is not facing the fire pit and picnic table.  See photo.  

Site 30 is close to the restroom and showers (although we didn't use them).  Also, the trash gondolas.

There is little internet access with Verizon service.

You could buy wood and ice from the campground host.  

Our neighbor in site 29 had put his generator under the trailer and locked it with a steel cable.   It was visible from the road.   At some point during the day someone cut the cable and stole the generator.

This campground appears to occupied by many of the manager's family and friends.  His campsite has a water view.  Our site was right next to the manager.  Noisiest campsite in the park.  

The manager was nice and accommodating.  However their site generated a lot of noise well past quiet hours.  Our site was level and had a terrific view of the lake.  After seeing the restrooms and showers we chose to use our trailer only.  Most sites were level and shaded.  Dirt pads.  Water and electric only.  Additional fee for dumping.  Fire wood was reasonably priced.

We did not have internet nor cell service (Verizon/T-Mobile).  Few amenities

This campground is the perfect spot if you want to still have a camping experience and get away from RV parks. The terrain there makes for a beautiful view. The new owners are great and made our group feel right at home! The pool, putt putt, and walking trails were nice as well! The pull through sites were great for the two 28’ fifth wheels and 30 ft bumper pull in our group. There are a lot of trees but the new owners have worked hard to make sure the sites are cleared enough to park in. Will definitely be back again and will be interested to see what more great things Shane and Cindy have in store for this place.

In the Huron-Manistee National Forest is this rustic campground. The sites are really big and spread out. They are split between 2 loops. The first loop was almost filled so we checked the second one and found a site away from others. It felt like we were alone until we took a walk around the campground. Picnic table, fire pit and lantern stand are standard. Paved spots for rv’s with plenty of room for tents. Vault toilets are spread throughout. There is even a parking area for visitors. 

We walked down the short trail to see the lake. The trail goes partially along the lake but it’s not very long. We saw 2 piers- one had a jet ski tied to it. Camp was quiet enough to hear the tree fall just outside our campsite. Would it still make a noise if we weren’t here? 

This is a peaceful discovery that is perfect for a getaway.